Bapton Books Aphorisms: Place and Time

8/2/2019 Bapton Books Aphorisms: Place and Time

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Bapton Books Aphorisms

Observations on Place and Time:

historiography, the countryside, and the

writers art

Markham haw Pyle

!M" "emyss

Bapton Books


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References to:

The Bapton Books Sampler: a literary chrestomathyAmazon UKAmazon US

The Transatlantic Disputations: Essays & ObservationsAmazon UKAmazon USPaperback on demand
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007029QGUhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B007029QGUhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808239&sr=1-5http://www.amazon.com/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808248&sr=1-4http://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss-and-markham-shaw-pyle/the-transatlantic-disputations-essays-and-meditations/paperback/product-18821915.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B007029QGUhttp://www.lulu.com/shop/gmw-wemyss-and-markham-shaw-pyle/the-transatlantic-disputations-essays-and-meditations/paperback/product-18821915.htmlhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808239&sr=1-5http://www.amazon.com/The-Transatlantic-Disputations-Meditations-ebook/dp/B006WS3LVY/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1335808248&sr=1-4https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007029QGU


3/25

MSP, on East Texas:

East Texas is the esternmost extension of the !"d So#th$

%ot the E"dest So#th, the Tideater of &ir'inia and the

(aro"ina )o (o#ntr*, the "ands of tobacco, rice, and indi'o,

b#t of the broad kin'doms of the (otton So#th$ +f *o# fo"d a

map of the So#th a"on' the "ine of the Mississippi rier, *o#

create a s*mmetr* "ike a Rorschach inkb"ot: the co#ntr* at

an* 'ien distance from the rier, east or est, matches

a"most interchan'eab"*$ East Texas is red dirt - not red, in

sober tr#th, b#t the oran'e of r#st, hich it basica""* is,

ferro#s oxide - and ma'no"ias and aza"eas and do'oods,

o"d fie"ds "on' since cottoned.o#t, far from the Mississippi

Rier bottom"ands that ere /rich as six feet #p a b#""0s ass0: a

"and of ho's and homin*, and a tan'"ed, 'rim past of s"aer*

and se're'ation$ +t co#"d as easi"* be the co#ntr* as far

eastards of the Mississippi as it is est: it o#"d fit a"" too

readi"* into the area beteen 1randon and Meridian,

Mississippi, hard b* the 1ieni""e %ationa" 2orest$

)ike the rest of the So#th, it possesses hat America as a

ho"e does not: histor*, een b#rdensome histor*, ori'ina"


4/25

sin, the aftertaste of o"d defeat and seated rebirth$

34 And it is a p"ace here the eocatie can appear

aro#nd an* t#rn5 isib"e from the hi'ha*, in a c"earin' in

the omnipresent oods 6for b* the time *o# reach San 7acinto

(o#nt*, the c"a#strophobic pines, rank #pon rank, hem *o#

in comp"ete"*8, is a shot'#n shack ith a h#'e si'n o#t front$

+t is painted ith "etterin' "ar'e eno#'h that /he ho r#ns

ma* read,0 and it deno#nces, b* name, a nei'hbor ho had

apparent"* cheated the resident in some dea"in': /---- Has no

HoNour, it reads, fo""oed b* a fe stark detai"s$ The

mi""enni#m has come and 'one and the o"d tradition of

/postin'0 the cheat and the coard "ies on, tho#'h the d#e"s

and barn.b#rnin's that o#"d hae fo""oed in the o"d da*s

are no more, thanks to the i'i"ance of sheriffs$ The past and

the present interpenetrate in stran'e fashions in 9eep East

Texas$

34 And then e are back in An'e"ina (o#nt*, at )#fkin,

on ; So#th, ro""in' a"on' past ho#ses that hae been

roadside "andmarks to me a"" m* "ife, some of them roadside

"andmarks to m* father before me, for a"" his "ife5 headin'

back to ork, or 1onn or Tok*o or

Ko"oon5 b#t *o# can neer =#ite "eae it behind$


5/25

?M@@ on @intertide and memor*:

+t is of co#rse a e"".orn est to sa* that one or another

ins#fficient"* demotic persona'e has stepped don from this,

that, or the other thin' /to spend more time ith his

possessions05 after a"", there is an entire po"itica" part* - and

seera" ha"f.ones - deoted to the po"itics of en*$ This is

rather a si""* dismissa" of an important tr#th, one borne home

#pon #s as the inter eather forces #s to sti""ness and

contemp"ation: from time to time, it is 'ood for one to sit

=#iet"* and be aare of, become reac=#ainted ith, hat one

possesses - if on"* to make certain that these materia" obects

do not in fact possess one$

34 >et it is a"so an #na""o*ed p"eas#re to m#se - and in a

ho#se necessari"* oerst#ffed b* the testamentar* a'aries of

inheritance in a d*in'.o#t and no "on'er n#mero#s fami"*,

there is m#ch to m#se #pon - it is p"easant to m#se #pon

hat materia" obects hae to te"" one$ @h*, for examp"e, is it

p"easant to the e*e to "ook #pon p"ate and c#p and sa#cer,

Rockin'ham and (ron 9erb*, chaste"* hite and de"icate"*

adorned ith banded 'o"d and #nobtr#sie f"oers5 h*,


6/25

#p"iftin' 6in sma"" doses8 to obsere and respond in a simi"ar

manner to the inention and craft of the Bimmermans and

1a"thasar %e#mann in pi"'rima'e ch#rches decorated in the

essobrunnermanner5 and *et, h* into"erab"e to confront a

s#rfeit of confectionar* hite and 'i"t c"obber in a co""ection

some thrice.damned 'reat.a#nt "#mbered one ithC @h* are

f"#ted pi"asters ith (orinthian capita"s in a room so

'enera""* satisf*in', from the Pazzi (hape" onardsC 6And,

come to think of it, h*, o h* is (#i""iDs0 Ama"ienb#r' so

damned anno*in'C And h*, for that matter, is hat0s "eft of

%orfo"k


7/25

et there is

more to it than these e"ements$ Een did + not kno hich

sma"" ?"o#cestershire ch#rch the paintin' portra*ed, + sho#"d

take p"eas#re in knoin' and reco'nisin' - from its

characteristic "andscape settin' and its characteristic

architect#re, the set of its spire and the f"oor p"an, and a"" the

eidences of m* sense of si'ht - that this is a ?"o#cestershire,

r#ra", "ar'e"* %orman parish ch#rch$

2or, *o# see, one can come - =#ite readi"* - to reco'nise

these thin's: the characteristic fami"* feat#res of East An'"ian

ch#rches, Somerset ch#rches ith Somerset toers, 9eon

ch#rches ith their a''on.roofs and remnants of

roodscreens and their /9eon rin's0 of six$ Een so, one can


8/25

train the e*e to reco'nise, ith p"eas#re, the c"#es of fie"d.

patterns, or a""s, or farm 'ates, or the a* in hich a roof is

thatched, or ho a chimne* is b#i"t and here it is p"aced,

and be ab"e to kno at once in hich co#nt* one is$ A sense

of p"ace is a thin' 'ood in itse"f$

>et it is 'ood in its effects as e"", and in hat it "eads to$

!ne be'ins to think, and to onder$ !ne ma* be moed to

become an anorak in some passionate interest, and that is a

er* 'ood thin' to be$ ?issin'0s


9/25

(o"erid'e and 1#rke a"ike ere pioneers of critica"

sthetics$ Think for a moment of ho the simp"est c#"tiation

of taste - no: more than that: the most basic contemp"ation of

h* one "ikes one thin' and not another - can become a

so#nd fo#ndation for a "ife e"" "ied in action$ @inter. and

eather.bo#nd, e ma* take the 'ift of #ncoenanted time to

think$ @e ma* be'in b* thinkin' of the characteristic notes of

En'"ish m#sic, the chromaticism of the En'"ish schoo"5 or of

the deep interre"atedness of p"ainchant and En'"ish poetr*, in

scansion and in diction5 or #st h* it is that r#ra" p#rs#its

hae en'endered 'reat "iterat#re$ !r, a'ain, *o# ma* see East

An'"ian par'etin' - and in it see fear in a handf#" of d#st, ash

on an o"d man0s s"eee, a croned knot of fire$ >o# ma* see

the inter trees, bo#'hs bare, and think of ho akin the* are

to fan.a#"tin' in *o#r parish ch#rch$ And s#dden"*, thro#'h

these =#otidian obserations, a"" heaen and he"" come

r#shin' in$ @e ma* 6and *o# certain"* o#'ht to do8 be'in to

ino"e o#rse"es ith (ommon ?ro#nd F En'"and in

Partic#"ar, or the Societ* for the Protection of Ancient

1#i"din's, ith a ater meados tr#st or the RSP1 or

herita'e rai"a*s or o"d mi""s$ >o# ma* soon find *o#rse"f

campai'nin' for "oca" distinctieness, ith (ommon ?ro#nd5

or #nderstandin' that (h#rchi"" as honest"* horrified that

the poor ere "eft in circ#mstances that a"most a"a*s meant

/neer seein' an*thin' bea#tif#", neer eatin' an*thin'

sao#r*, neer sa*in' an*thin' c"eer0 - and h* this is a


10/25

tra'ed* that m#st be redressed5 *o# ma* een be'in to think

that, a"tho#'h a ri'ht char"e* in man* a*s, o# ma*, for examp"e, conc"#de that

chi"dren of a"" races 6een barbarians s#ch as m* peop"e,

Ancient 1ritons and mara#din' Saxons and the occasiona"

&ikin' and, orse sti"", a fe &ikin's speakin' a dia"ect of

Ro#ennais 2ro'8 are trained b* s#rro#ndin' art - or the "ack

of it: that m#ch of hat is rep#'nant in o#r time is the

prod#ct of 1r#ta"ism and #'"ification, of s*nthetic tosh, bad

ritin' and bad m#sic he"d o#t as 'ood, and bad art

p"astered a"" oer the shodd* concrete a""s$

1est of a"", *o# ma*, refreshed, rechar'ed, and en"i'htened

b* this enforced contemp"ation in the depth of inter,

act#a""* start #oin" somethin' abo#t these i""s and ei"s, and

assist in the on"* orthhi"e ork, that of 'iin' bread in

p"ace of stones to those spirit#a""* and inte""ect#a""* starin'$

Remarkab"e, rea""*, hat one ma* "earn from a SGres

coffee serice in an id"e moment$ !r, as 9ame 7#"ian mi'ht

hae noted, a haze"n#t$


11/25

?M@@ on honest an'"ers:

Sha"" + abandon m* riersC Sho#"d ?od for'et


12/25

2or to the tr#e an'"er, ho o#"d kno his rier, a""

seasons are apt, a"" kno"ed'e precio#s, and a"" thin's ork

to'ether for 'ood$ +t as not b* chance that !#r Saio#r

so#'ht his first discip"es amon'st fishermen$ And +

remember, a"so, a kinsman of mine in cent#ries past, a 'ood

honest (h#rchman and an an'"er, a ph*sician in


13/25

and "earn of it, and be the better for it, in mind and in spirit$

So, %o: the hatch is not a"" that it mi'ht be, for if it is arm

eno#'h and ear"* ith it, it is a"so in a time of dro#'ht5 and,

%o: + don0t 'et to the rier as often as + sho#"d ish$ 1#t these

thin's do not make this a poor *ear: the* are an #n"ooked.for

opport#nit* to de"e *et deeper into the secrets of the rier,

and 'ro ise$

Reoice, then, in a"" seasons, *e fishers$ The %orl# the river

is both you an# ', (n# all mankin#, are either $ish or $ry) @e m#st

ie it ith #dicio#s "ooks, and 'et isdom hi"st e ma*$

And to a"" honest an'"ers, then, + ish, as o#r master +zaak

ished #s "on' a'o, /a rain* eenin' to read this fo""oin'

9isco#rse5 and that if he be an honest An'"er, the east ind

ma* neer b"o hen he 'oes a.fishin'$0


14/25

?M@@ on (he"tenham:

Those ho ent to the tro#b"e of 'oin' to (he"tenham and

those ho b#t atched it as tin* ima'es f"ickerin' #pon '"ass

ma* e"" hae p"aced their a'ers on the races$ >et those

ho had a f"#tter on (appa 1"e#, those ho had a bit on

9enman or Ka#to Star, or, "o*a""*, on 1arbers Shop 6


15/25

itC @h* e"se is so m#ch of the best ritin' concerned ith

bees and farms, ith an'"in' and sta"kin' and shootin' and

h#ntin', ith horse, horn, and ho#ndC +t o#"d be a rash

man indeed ho s#''ested that the interests of the #rban and

s#b#rban mind hae created a bod* of "etters to ria" Rier

1ank and the @i"d @ood, ciderin' ith Rosie, an'"in' ith

@a"ton and (otton, h#ntin' ith 2"#rr* Knox0s ho#nds or

shootin' at A#sso"as, or farmin' and beekeepin' ith &arro,

(o"#me""a, &er'i", (obbett, and Adrian 1e""$ Simp"* to

mention the !eor"ics is to make the ar'#ment certain, itho#t

so m#ch as mentionin'


16/25

?M@@ on the e"ementa" co#ntr*side:

>et so "on' as peop"e take their ideas from #rban "eader.

riters, the data of their senses i"" remain secondar* at best

in formin' their #d'ements$ Statisticians and ana"*sts can

insist in rin'in' tones that the %2U, an'"ers, shootin' parties,

the (o#ntr*side A""iance, preserers of pheasants, h#nts, and

the 1AS(, do more for conseration than the ho"e of the

par"iamentar* )abo#r Part* and the entire readership of the

'n#epen#ent, b#t their oices i"" fa"" on deaf ears so "on' as

een aard.innin' i"d"ife photo'raphers, "ike so man*

@atsons, /see, b#t do not obsere0$

2or m* on part, + sho#"d "ike to hae the 'reater part of

the )abo#r Part*, most )ib9ems, and not a fe Tories, /re.

ed#cated0 b* their bein' forced to spend 'reat sathes of

2ebr#ar* and March next, in "ambin' season, standin' in

m#ck as a co"d rain pisses don, dea"in' ith pro"apse in

ees or ith their arms ha"fa* #p sheep0s tats fee"in' for

the fore"e' of a "amb str#''"in' to be born$ The*, and the

co#ntr*, and the co#ntr*side, o#"d be remarkab"* the better

for it$


17/25

MSP on fie"d sports:


18/25


19/25

(onsistenc* c#ts deep$ @e o#"d none of #s be here, + ask

*o# to remember, had ear"ier 'enerations sh#ddered and

t#rned aa*$ A fa""en race in a fa""en or"d, e o#"d be

that sti"", b#t other than e are$ (onsistenc* i"" re=#ire the

seerance of more ties than those that bind *o# to the 'rocer$

2or those ho do not hae a ocation for e'etarianism,

hoeer, rea"it* is e=#a""* adamant$ +t does not matter ho

e"" *o# dine in a cand"e."it cocoon, ith obse=#io#s aiters

brin'in' the chef0s best efforts reerent"* to *o#r tab"e$ +f *o#

are to no#rish an* appetites "ess 'ross than mere br#te

h#n'er, if *o# are to feed *o#r so#", *o# m#st pick #p the

carin' knife$ >o# m#st enter the kitchen, and *o# m#st sit at

tab"e, ith *o#r e*es open$

+n a or"d "ar'e"* seered from the simp"e tr#ths of the

farm*ard, it is a necessar* part of eer* h#man0s ed#cation to

"earn hat o#r 'randparents kne as nat#ra""* as the* kne

the paths thro#'h a#t#mn0s forests$ + o#"d 'o so far as to

sa* that no one has a ri'ht to eat an* creat#re hich that

person i'nores a"ie$ Een the sa*in' of a ?race 1efore Meat

is b"asphemo#s in the mo#ths of those ho do not reco'nize

the enormit* of hat the* do, and m#st do to "ie$


20/25

+t is essentia" to "earn the a*s of the beasts of the fie"d,

and the dim, stran'e or"d of fish, and the rh*thm of the

po#"tr* r#n$ +f + do not kno - not sentimenta""*, not

bookish"*, not at second.hand, b#t kno of m* on

kno"ed'e - somethin' at "east of the "ife of a beef steer or a

m#"e* b#ck, + hae no ri'ht to sa* hen and ho it sho#"d

die and ho it sho#"d be c#t and cooked hen it is dead$ %o

ri'ht b#t that of s#perior force and of #nthinkin' him and

desire, hich is b#t the tit"e c"aimed b* t*rants$


21/25

MSP on historio'raph*:

Santa*ana0s dread arnin' to those ho do not

remember, di'est the "essons of, commemorate and "earn

from, histor*: that the* ho fai" to do so are doomed to

repeat it: app"ies to #s a""$ The se"ectie and partia"

miscomprehension of histor*, their on histor*, b* the

American peop"e has "ed to this sorr* present state of affairs$

+t is the fai"#re of historians and ed#cators to do their obs

proper"*, /itho#t fear or faor,0 that has created an America

in hich freedom is not mere"* taken for 'ranted, b#t

re'arded as a commodit* to be bartered for materia"

adanta'e$ An America in hich droo"in' peckerood

m#dsi"" trash can co.opt f"a's #nder hich 'reat and 'ood

men fo#'ht, and render them foreer befo#"ed in the e*es of

tho#sands and h#ndreds of tho#sands$ An America in hich

the '#ardians of "ibert* are treated ith the ind#"'ent

contempt directed at Kip"in'0s Tommy (tkins- #nti", as as

the case for Tomm*, the ba""oon 'oes #p and the sneers are

iped off cii"ian faces b* sheer panicked terror$ An America

in hich e are diided b* race and c"ass and herita'e hen


22/25

e o#'ht, on a s#ccession of memoria" and re=#iem da*s

thro#'ho#t the ca"endar, oin hands, ra""* 0ro#nd, be sensib"e

to hat Mr )inco"n ca""ed the pio#s chords of memor*, there

beside /each patriot 'rae$0

This is the conse=#ence of the historian0s abdication of

a#thorit* and d#t*, and its reersa" i"" be dependent #pon

an increased, mass appreciation of realhistor*$ +t is a"so the

conse=#ence of the p#b"ic0s fai"#re to read: so#nd orks of

histor* are "ar'e"* aai"ab"e, accessib"e $$$ and i'nored$ This,

too, m#st chan'e, and one means is for #s a"" to ce"ebrate o#r

9a*s of Remembrance %ittin"ly,steepin' o#rse"es on these

appointed da*s in the 'reat ca#ses and sacrifices each

commemorates, as to"d b* so man* s#perb historians$

@hat, after a"", is a ho"ida* itho#t a "ectionar*C

Unti" then, + at "east 6/choose this da* hom *o# sha""

sere, b#t as for me and m* ho#se$$$08 - + at "east sha""

contin#e to obsere, in 'ratit#de and a"" h#mi"it*, these

ha""oed da*s of remembrance, and ork to sho the rest of

*o# h* *o# o#'ht ri'ht"* be in the next pe$

.et us no% praise $amous men

(n# our $athers in their "enerations )))

))) *or some %ere men o$ %ar,

(n# their "lory hath outlive# them)


23/25

?M@@ on ritin':

1. There is no muse. Therefore, there is no sacred

chamber to prepare against her visitations.

@ritin' is not dependent #pon the a'aries of mood or

season or eather or p"ace or back'ro#nd noise$ 9ickens and

1eteman rote on trains$ A#sten rote in the midst of

'entee""* o""* fami"* #proar, par"o#r 'ames, and dai"* "ife$

Kip"in' and (hesterton rote thro#'h an* t#m#"t$ This

notion that one must, #arlin", simply m#st, my #ear, hae a

specia" cocoonith thin's positioned #st so and a north "i'ht

and, + don0t kno, a c"oisonnD mo#se pad or some damned

thin', is #tter ba""s$ @ritin' isn0t a sacred trance or a

sacrament or a mood or a M*sterio#s (omm#nion ith the

(nima /un#i, it0s a b"ood* ob, damn it a""$ ?et on ith it$

?et, in fact, on *er bike$ + remember - ith a horror that

persists een no - readin', some *ears a'o, of an American

a#thor ho, in a hardboi"ed e=#ia"ent to this idioc* abo#t


24/25

process$ +0m amazed he made a "iin' at it$ This sort of thin'

is #n=#estionab"* id"eness, as e"" as ima'ination, operatin'

#pon "#x#r*$

%o, obio#s"*, if *o#0re ritin' on spec, and not

impe""ed b* the ant to make the rent or sett"e a "on'.

o#tstandin' bi"" ith the 'reen'rocer so he0"" a""o *o# into

the shop before *o# =#ite stare, *o# can, + s#ppose, take

*o#r priss*, precio#s time and rite on"* hen *o# fee" "ike

it$ +t shan0t be orth a damn, b#t *o# can do it$ 6+t shan0t be

orth a damn for seera" reasons$ 2irst of a"", *o#0"" ant to

edit it ith far more asted time than if *o#0d ritten it in

one 'o, and hadn0t a""oed it to become disointed and

episodic and itho#t f"o$ Second"*, *o#0"" cock that#p, that

necessar* editin', beca#se *o#0"" remember ho pleasant it

as to rite on"* hen *o# chose, and ere in a "oft* mood,

and *o#0"" therefore re'ard the ork *o# did as "oft* and

p"easant, seein' it thro#'h the 'a#z* c#rtain of nosta"'ia and

affection, and *o#0"" be b"ind to its manifest and manifo"d

fa#"ts$ And a'ain, hateer oerarchin' theme or mood or

arc it mi'ht hae had, *o#0"" hae for'otten, or at "east "ost

the immediate sense of, and the res#"ts shan0t be prett*

hoeer r#th"ess"* *o# believe *o# are editin' it$ 1#t that0s

*o#r "ooko#t: *o# can do this sort of thin' if *o# "ike and

haen0t the "ash of need to drie *o# on$8

@hat0s more, *o# are not ritin' on spec, rea""*, did *o#

b#t kno it, or as a /hobb*0 6did *o# b#t kno it8$ /%o man


25/25

b#t a b"ockhead eer rote, except for mone*,0 said 9r

7ohnson, and it0s tr#e$ Either *o# rite and p#b"ish beca#se

*o# are seekin' credit or rep#tation or exchan'e, if not in a

monetised c#rrenc*, or *o# rite - a"" too often on"ine, in a

circ"e of m#t#a" #ncritica" ad#"ation - as a set of fie.fin'er

exercises, a'ainst the da* hen *o# toss *o#r MS oer the

transom of a p#b"isher: into hose s"#sh.pi"e it sha"", d#e to

the ices *o#0e ac=#ired b* ritin' and postin' on"ine and

bein' f"attered for it and fee"in' *o# ma* rite hen *o# fee"

"ike it, ineitab"* sink itho#t a trace$

This is h* dead"ines are so damned orthhi"e, or

sho#"d be ere the ostensib"e re=#irements enforced rather

better than the* are$ )ike the need to fi"" the c#pboards ith

food, these act to force *o# to rite not hen and as *o# "ike,

b#t to order, een if *o# m#st "oosen *o#r sta*s and breathe

deep of *o#r sme""in' sa"ts and act#a""* b#ck"e don and do

an honest da*0s ork hen *o#0d rather not, *o# poor,

de"icate f"oer, *o#$

#$plicit %iber

Bapton Books Aphorisms: Place and Time

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Transcript of Bapton Books Aphorisms: Place and Time